mister pip

'Youcannotpretendtoreadabook.Youreyeswillgiveyouaway.Sowillyourbreathing.Apersonentrancedbyabooksimplyforgetstobreathe.Thehousecancatchalightandareaderdeepinabookwillnotlookupuntilthewallpaperisinflames.'Bougainville.1991.AsmallvillageonalushtropicalislandintheSouthPacific.Eighty-sixdayshavepassedsinceMatilda'slastdayofschoolas,quietly,warisencroachingfromtheotherendoftheisland.Whenthevillagers'safe,predictablelivescometoahalt,Bougainville'schildrenaresurprisedtofindtheisland'sonlywhiteman,arecluse,re-openingtheschool.PopEye,akaMrWatts,explainshewillintroducethechildrentoMrDickens.Matildaandtheothersthinkaforeigneriscomingtotheislandandpreparealistofmuchneededitems.TheyareshockedtodiscovertheiracquaintancewithMrDickenswillbethroughMrWatts'inspiringreadingofGreatExpectations.Butonanislandatwar,thepoweroffictionhasdangerousconsequences.Imaginationandbeliefsarechallengedbyguns.MisterPipisanunforgettabletaleofsurvivalbystory;adazzlingpieceofwritingthatliveslonginthemindafterthelastpageisfinished.